Helena Horton

1 week ago | theguardian.com | Helena Horton

Hundreds of turtle doves are being released this summer as conservationists race against the clock to save the species from extinction in England. The cooing doves, which mate for life, are the fastest-declining bird species in the country. Just 2,000 pairs are left, a decline of 98% since the 1970s. This is because their habitats of scrubby areas have been destroyed and thousands are shot on their migratory route across Europe.

1 week ago | theguardian.com | Helena Horton |Kiran Stacey

Ministers will restart the approval process for two controversial oilfields on Thursday, even as new figures show the UK will be almost entirely dependent on foreign gas by 2050 regardless of whether they are approved. Michael Shanks, the energy security minister, will on Thursday announce the results of a government consultation on the giant Rosebank field and the smaller Jackdaw one, in a move the industry says will set the tone for the future of production in the North Sea.

1 week ago | theguardian.com | Helena Horton

The flavour of a gin and tonic may be impacted by climate change, scientists have found. Volatile weather patterns, made more likely by climate breakdown, could change the taste of juniper berries, which are the key botanical that give gin its distinctive taste. Scientists from Heriot-Watt University’s International Centre for Brewing and Distilling (ICBD) have found that changing weather patterns may be altering the flavour compounds in the berries.

1 week ago | theguardian.com | Andrew Sparrow |Peter Walker |Libby Brooks |Helena Horton

MPs to debate proposals to decriminalise abortionIn the Commons MPs are now voting on an amendment to the crime and policing bill. They have just finished the first part of today’s report stage debate, and when the voting is finished they will start the second stage of the debate, dealing with amendments relating to abortion. This will run until 7pm when the vote, or votes, will take place. Here is Hannah Al-Othman’s preview story.

1 week ago | theguardian.com | Andrew Sparrow |Helena Horton

Key eventsShow key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this featureCasey says children are at risk because police data sharing systems are too antiquatedCasey says in the past government has talked relentlessly about the need for better data sharing between departments. But she says there is a need to consider making this mandatory. She says, until she came back to this issue to conduct her audit, she did not realise the “paucity of technology” available to support the police.